The COVID-19 vaccination for students in the age group of 15 and 18 years commenced here on Monday.
After going around a couple of educational institutions, District Collector S. Aneesh Shekhar, Corporation Commissioner K. P. Karthikeyan and other officials inquired with the officials about the status of the vaccine stocks.
Speaking to reporters at Corporation Illango Higher Secondary School, Dr Aneesh Shekhar said that the district had 80.2 percent coverage of first dose vaccination and 47.5 % second dose coverage so far. With Omicron cases picking up in many districts, it would be safe for eligible people to get themselves inoculated without any further delay.
From the part of the district administration, they have made elaborate arrangements in the hospitals for treatment. There need not be any panic among the people. He however, urged them to wear mask regularly whenever they stepped out of their dwellings.
Similarly, he advised the people to maintain physical distancing in public places.
Health department officials said that Omicron was capable of spreading four times faster than the Delta variant of the COVID-19.
Later in the day, the Collector presided over a meeting in which senior officers from multiple departments and faculty from the Government Rajaji Hospital participated. It was decided to educate the masses through various mediums in the coming days. Chief Educational Officer Swaminathan, DD (Health) Senthil Kumar, City Health Officer Raja and among others were present.